But philosophers talking about perception usually focus on the case of vision, so let’s do the same. In honor of the hero of this chapter, please imagine that you’re seeing a green olive. Bacon’s explanation of how the visual experience occurs is that a green object will affect the air surrounding it by imparting the species of green to it. This species is then passed on or “multiplied” through one part of the air after another. When the effect gets to the air touching your eye, the species is received in your eye and this causes you to see green.
